Warning and Small Talk
by Kris1907
Summary: Spoilers for the aired eps. of 'Norma Mailer, I'm Pregnant'. My take on Rory's warning to her father and a little bit of small talk.


After a couple of attempts, hopefully I am on the right track here. I have a notebook full of short stories written while classes became boring and a majority of them are Luke and Lorelai short stories. Mostly written about the upcoming eps. for the show and my takes on random topics and subjects. Though many of them are now pointless, since the eps. aired, I thought I might as well share them anyways. So here we go. Please, I like all kinds of comments and the more people seem to be interested in reading, than the more I'll probably type up.

Thanks! Kris

_ Disclaimer and Summary all in One: I sadly own no part of this show or the characters nor have they hired me to be on it yet. A short story with Rory handing out a warning and a touch of small talk. Based off of the rumours, summaries and preivews for the already aired eps. called "Norman Mailer, I'm Pregnant". I get to own the placement choices of the words but not the actual words- that goes to Shakespeare and Samual Johnson._

**_Warnings and Small Talk _**

_  
October 12th, 2004 12:34pm_

"Rory, what a surprise. Come in."

Christopher steps back and allows the slightly unnerved teen into the apartment. "Great to see you." He steps forward to place his arms awkwardly around his daughter, "Its finally naptime, but I'll wake Gigi if you'd like."

"No thanks. I-" Her eyes move around the room as she stands stiff, "I won't be here long. I want you to stay away from mom."

"What? Wow."

Shifting her weight, "I know you called her and she came like she always does, but I want you to leave her alone."

"I…" Christopher rubs his forehead tiredly as he attempts to follow the flow of conversation, "I just needed a little help Ror."

"Call me. Hire help. Read a book about parenting- and if you have no time to actually read the book, I'm sure they have them on cassettes or CDs or even a nice forty-minute DVD on the subject. You know, like they have those Idiots Guides to Computers and Plumbing and such… they must have one for parenting. Parenting for dummies in forty minutes flat or something similar to that idea. I can pick one up for you if you'd like."

Stepping towards her, Christopher gently holds onto her upper arms, "I just needed- Gigi wouldn't stop crying… uh I needed help. That's all."

"Only that one time?" Seeing his facial expression change, Rory steps back and allows his hands to fall back to his sides, "She's doing very well. The inn is running smoothly and growing daily and she's dating Luke and he's great for her and I'm not trying to be mean but she's so happy right now and Luke is so good to her… I said that already… but he is and good to her and for her and you can hear it in her voice and you need to leave her alone."

Silence fills the air, as her father attempts desperately to process all the words that just rapidly left Rory's mouth and entered his ears, "Wow… one second."

"See, that was only a half rant for me and mom can rant so much better than I can when she is nervous and Luke can keep up with the words and that's not my point. I'm being stupid. And… and I apologize for that remark because it had no basis here." Rory lifts a slightly shaking hand up to remove her bangs from her eyes, "I'm just asking you to leave her be."

"I don't want to mess anything up- really. I just neede- -"

"A little help. I know, but I'll help- people you pay will help, but not mom. You'll just confuse her and ruin things. You always do- whether you mean to or not, but she can't be hurt anymore and messing this up will hurt her and me." Her eyes focus on the ground, "You missed a piece of the puzzle over there."

Bending down, Christopher picks up the piece and tosses it around in his hand, "Thanks."

"I just want you to know how much this relationship means to mom and myself. How much is at stake." She sees her father about to speak, "No, let me finish please. I really don't want to hurt you. I love you dad but you're not right for her. Not anymore. I know you never meant to but you would enter our lives for a few minutes and turn everything upside down and vanish. I was always so happy to see you come and had those kid wants of her parents being together. But I'm not a kid anymore. And I have seen what happens. We were always left with the pieces. Luke was too. He's always been there, no questions asked for years and waited patiently and now they've finally got things on the right track and life is good for her. So good. And for me. And Luke has seen you come and go and he knows what has happened each time you arrived in Stars Hollow so you are a threat, whether you mean to or not. He's a guy. He might get the wrong idea. Who can blame him because you only bring chaos and that's not what they need."

"Rory, I'm not going to mess anything up. But your mom and I will always be friends."

"That's fine. Throw a 'I'm now a full-time father' party and invite them both but don't use that friendship to confuse mom. Because if you do that will hurt everybody and nothing will be gained and everything will be messed up and she'll no longer be happy and have that rather annoying giggle and I will no longer have coffee and muffins and no Jacob and that… that…" Taking in a deep breath, "That'll suck. I'm willing to help you. I don't know a lot about kids but I'm willing to help if you stay away."

"Jacob?"

Meeting her father's gaze, Rory simply shrugs, "I got to go. Have my political science class and-" Moving backwards towards the door, "Call me to help and kiss Gigi and- - and-" Stepping out the door, "Bye."

The door closes behind his daughter as Christopher runs a tired hand over his face.

_October 12th, 2004 5:18pm_

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Your mom won't be here 'til dinner."

"I know."

Pouring Rory some more coffee, Luke continues to stare at her as she aimlessly stares at her open textbook and allows her pencil to occasionally hit against its edge, "Not going to Lane's?"

"No."

"Isn't Dean working at Dosse's?"

"Yeah."

Luke lets out a silence sigh as he begins to move away before stopping, "Not going to bother him? Ask annoying questions about the placement of the ketchup?"

"No."

"Only I get that pleasure?"

Getting a slight smile, "Yeah."

"Did you two have a fight because I got more pie baking if so."

The slight grin stays in place as she looks up at him, "No we didn't. We're good. Thanks for asking and I like pie."

"I know you do. I'll bring you a large piece if you share what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong." Rory takes a sip of her coffee as Luke sighs and nods as he turns from the table, "I'm just bothered."

Turning back, "Bothered by what?"

"I went to see my dad."

Luke's confusion is clearly shown in his facial features as he moves closer to the table, "Is he still having a rough time?"

Looking up at him, "You know then?"

"Yeah," Luke places the coffee pot down and buries his hands in his pockets, "Your mom explained his situation. Gotta be hard."

"Yeah. I didn't make it any easier." Luke stays silent and waits to see if she will continue her thought, "I-" Rory taps her pencil against the mug softly as she feels his eyes upon her, "Guess I should- uh- I told him to stay away from mom."

Luke suddenly sits and bends his head slightly to study her facial expression, "Any particular reason?"

"Yeah."

Silence fills the table, "If you would rather tell your mom-"

"She'll just tell you anyways." Taking in a deep breath, she raises her eyes to Luke and gives off a slight smile, "When I heard he called and she went, I didn't want him to mess things up. Mom's happy and with dad she never remains that way long. I just wanted him- I didn't want him to confuse her."

"He's hurt her before and you're worried."

"Yeah, but- I- I said a lot. I think I hurt his feelings and I didn't mean to but I-" She stops abruptly and raises her coffee mug to her lips.

Sensing that she is not going to continue right away, Luke gives her a little push, "I'm sure he understood what you meant."

"But I told him that he always messes things up." The simple nod from Luke causes Rory's brow to crease, "No comment?"

"My opinion on this matter doesn't matter. You had reasons for saying it."

Nodding her agreement, "Yeah, I guess I did. Whether he means to or not, he comes in and messes things up and we have to deal with it and fix it. So I told him that she's happy and I'm happy and that he can't come in and confuse her by simply wanting her help with Gigi. Also that I worry that he will mess up you and mom and my God, I even mentioned Jacob in the middle of it all and how good things are right now. I know that they are friends and always will be and therefore she should be able to help as a friend but… but I can't trust that so I said I would help. Not that I know anything about kids. You two deserve an easy go or a semi easy go and no more tears. I'm so tired of tears."

Seemingly unaffected by anything that has been said, "Jacob?"

"Why does everybody ask me that?"

"Cause nobody knows who Jacob is?"

"Should stay that way," Laughing nervously, Rory looks down at her coffee. She circles the large mug with her fingers as she takes a deep breath, "I gave you other things to comment on."

"And I chose Jacob."

"Choose again."

"I still choose Jacob."

Rory looks up to protest, but as she sees his amused grin, she gives in, "Well if you and mom, uh, well had a kid then I figured he could be Jacob Alexander Danes. Or Andrews if not a major fan of Alexander and mom would love the Julie Andrews reference."

"Ah." Luke's facial expression does not change as he nods, "Why an easy go?"

Sighing deeply, "Because you've both waited- took a lot to get to this point so you shouldn't have to deal with such trivial things and things that- I dunno. That-"

"Confuse?"

"Yes, thank you. Confuse things and make things hard when things should be easy and I have to stop saying things."

Luke reaches over and lightly pats Rory's hand, "It doesn't need to be easy."

"Well not easy easy per say. But you deserve to be left alone to figure out life and your relationship." Rory takes a sip of her coffee as she studies Luke's face and then looks around the diner, "Mom picked out the paint and then painted it, she made you put in that fax line when you have no fax machine- she got you to redecorate, rearrange your back room, the new counter when the crack in the old one kept growing in her imagination…" Looking at him through her fallen hair, "Remember that week?" His groan and roll of the eyes is all the answer that she needs, "Got you to buy new curtains, a new bed, expand the apartment- she's here. Her touches in your space. Should I even try to list your touches in our house? What I'm saying or trying to is that you are Luke."

"Good to know."

Giggling lightly, "No, I mean- well that. You are Luke. Our Luke. Stars Hollow Luke. Mom is finally seeing that the final piece is here- in Stars Hollow and not outside. Dad, Max, Jason- not here. They are from the world, dare I say, the Gilmore world and it never works but something forces her to think she needs to move in that direction. I don't want dad to confuse in the sense that she- - uh. Are you following at all?"

"As well as I always do."

"Which is good enough." They share a smile before Rory looks back down at her hands. As silence takes over, Luke begins to feel that he should start to move but her abrupt laugh causes him to stay put, "Sorry… sorry" is spoken at his raised eyebrow, "I don't think we've ever had this type of talk before. This many words. I like it."

"Well good. Me too."

"And now that you know where I stand on all this and that I'm on your side and its all only friendship between them and- "

"Rory, deep breath. Its fine." Reaching out, he pats her wrist lightly, "Thank you."

"For what?"

Shrugging, "For giving me a new incite to your mom and her actions and for caring." Getting up, "Nothing with you girls is easy anyways. And I'm okay with that." He sees Rory start to stand and gives her a questioning look.

"Lane's." She reaches for her purse, but Luke's hand stops her, "Have fun." As she reaches the door, she is stopped by Luke's voice, "Oh Rory, Andrews. Not a fan of the Romanov idea. Them being killed off and all."


End file.
